Computer printers are well known in the prior art and include dot-matrix printers, piezo-electric ink jet printers, laser printers, thermal ink jet printers and other ink jet printing devices. When using an ink jet printing device, an ink jet cartridge or ink tank can be installed or otherwise mounted to the ink jet printing device to provide a supply of ink. In some instances, an ink jet cartridge or ink jet tank may be removed from the ink jet printing device. If removed from the printing device for an extended period of time, some or all of the supply of ink within the ink jet cartridge or ink jet tank may evaporate. Sometimes, a substantial amount of the supply of ink can evaporate within a relatively short time. If an empty or nearly empty ink jet cartridge or ink jet tank is re-installed within an ink jet printing device or other printing device, damage to the ink jet printing device or other printing device may result.
In some ink jet cartridge or ink tank designs, ink supply management may be an issue when a print head associated with the ink jet printing device or other printing device is starved of ink and air inside the print head may result in damage to the print head. In such designs, an optical sensing system can be used to detect free ink inside an ink jet cartridge or ink tank. However, evolving ink jet cartridge and ink tank designs may use foam or another medium to retain ink within the ink jet cartridge or ink tank, such that optical sensing may not be possible or accurate. To account for these evolving ink jet cartridge and ink tank designs, an amount of ink remaining inside the ink jet cartridge or ink tank can be determined by way of counting ink dots.
Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for communication of date information between an ink tank and a printing device.
A further need exists for systems and methods for determining ink evaporation from at least one ink tank.
An additional need exists for systems and methods for determining remaining ink in a plurality of ink tanks associated with a printing device.